Worship & Music

Worship & Music

Worship is central to the Christian life. Bethlehem’s Sunday worship gives shape to our week, rhythm to our life, and good news for our living. Word and Sacrament are the foundation for everything else that we do as Christians. We need the forgiveness God gives through Christ at the end of our week, and that same good news supports us throughout the following week until the next Sunday.

Bethlehem has a proud history of excellence in music. In recent years the music ministry has been enhanced and extended to include a Worship Team for the 10:15 Sunday worship, the remodeling of the Moeller Pipe Organ in 2007 & 2008, Adult and Youth choirs, and the periodic production of a youth musical.

Two distinct worship styles are offered at Bethlehem each Sunday morning. The 8:30 a.m. worship service is accompanied by the organ as the principle instrument, and the congregation sings traditional hymns and liturgies. The 10:15 a.m. worship service is contemporary in style and accompanied by a “worship team” playing guitars, drums, keyboard, violin, etc. All musicians have been using the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) hymnal for hymns and liturgies. Additional contemporary worship resources are used by the worship team to supplement the hymnal.

Holy Communion is currently offered the first, third and fifth Sunday of the month and all festival Sundays.

Our worship service is broadcast on KBRF radio (1250 AM) every Sunday, at 8:30 a.m. and for special mid-week services during Christmas and Lent.

We invite children to participate in worship services and encourage their sense of belonging within our worshipping community. Children’s bulletins are available from the ushers. Children’s soft bags can be found in the entry area. “Taking Faith Home” inserts are added to the worship bulletin and are family-friendly devotions for the week ahead. A children’s message often precedes the sermon in the service.

Sunday morning child care – our Nursery is located on the lower level in the northeast wing of the parish ed building. We have child care for newborns to children age four throughout the morning.

Why Worship?Worship is the people of God using the human speech of adoration for God and is addressed to God. Worship is God’s language heard by the worshipping assembly to inspire us and to equip us to live out both our earthly and heavenly lives and to bear witness to the presence of God in our lives. Worship is ritual; it is practiced repetition that offers order into the chaos of human existence by providing stability and integrity at the beginning of our week. Worship is prayer because it encourages two-way communication with our God who created us, loves, and abides with us.

Music Groups

Jubilee Choir: The Jubilee Choir is Bethlehem’s adult choir. The choir provides special music and worship leading at the 8:30 worship service. They also present a Christmas and Easter Cantata each year. The Jubilee Choir meets weekly at 7pm in the balcony. No audition is needed!

Triple Trio: The Triple Trio is Bethlehem’s women’s ensemble. It is comprised of 9 ladies and just celebrated it’s 20th Anniversary! The Triple Trio provides special music a the 8:30a.m. worship service once a month.

Joyful Noise: The Bethlehem Worship Team, Joyful Noise, is a worship band that leads music at the 10:15 Worship Service. The band rehearses each Wednesday at 8pm in the Sanctuary and is always looking for new members. The worship team offers a pre-service sing-along starting in the sanctuary at 10:30am.

Sunday School Choirs: The "Cherubs" choir are children ages 3 years-5 year/Kindergarten and the "Seraphim" choir are children 1st-4th grades. Both Choirs enjoy a music time during the Sunday School hour and also provide special music once a month at the 10:45 Worship Service under the direction of the Sunday School Music Director.

Bethlehem Brass: The Bethlehem Brass provides excellent special music at Christmas and Easter and also special Sundays throughout the year.

Altar Guild: The work of the Altar Guild is to assist in creating and maintaing a climate of worship for the congregation. Through our worship service, we seek the message of the Gospel of Christ and respond to it. The preaching, liturgy, administering of the Sacrament all are for the primary purpose of communicating this message and responding to it. The communication is two-way, from God to us and from us to God. We build our churches, furnish our chancels in such a way as to help this communication. The flowers, candles, altar hangings with their symbols are not just decorations. Each is meaningful, and it is the duty of the Guild members to help members of the congregation understand the symbolism in their own church.